May 23, 2013

Journey Woman Evelyn Hannon Shows Seniors How Budget Travel is Done

JourneyWoman

Journeywoman.com founder Evelyn Hannon has been traveling solo for 30 years, and has learned a thing or two about senior travel. Seventy-two years young, she tackles travel adventures many would hesitate to embrace. In three decades, Hannon has weathered a three-month Semester at Sea voyage with 750 students, performed as a film extra in Hong [...]

Budget Traveler’s Guide to Hotel Room Meals

Trump International Beach Resort

We left the hotel room with plans for an affordable romantic dinner for two. Unfortunately, our spastic, but lovable Labrador had another agenda. When affection, toys and treats failed to stop her barking, we knew it was time to regroup. Our solution? Even more affordable in-room dining. But pet travel isn’t the only reason hotel [...]

Making the Most of Your Destination’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

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My husband and I made the changing of the guard one of our top things to do in Quito, Ecuador. Afterward, when trying to decide what to do next, we found our guide book lacking in ideas. A stop at the South American city’s convention and visitor’s bureau solved the problem. They provided more detailed [...]

Money-Saving Spring Break Ideas

longboat_key_23

College students and parents of school children alike must annually consider which spring break ideas they’d like to take advantage of. Needless to say that with both categories of vacation planners, budget is an issue. Here are my top picks for money-saving spring break ideas. Pitch a tent. If you’re looking to visit someplace warm, [...]

Fun Picnic Lunch Ideas for Travelers

picnic lunch ideas

We all know that developing a list of fun picnic lunch ideas is the key to using this travel food strategy to save money on the road. The problem is it can be difficult to come up with a list of picnic or tailgating menus that will be suitable for any given situation. Varying grocery [...]

Cape Town on Budget: A Guest Post by M.E. Reidy

Capte Town 3

There are endless reasons why Cape Town appears on lists as Africa’s most popular tourist destination. Cape Town’s landscape, from beaches to mountains, its history, and its cultural vibe make it an unforgettable trip.  However, don’t let its looks overwhelm you or your wallet.  Working with a budget of $100, one can still have a [...]

Surprising Sources for Scoring Affordable Travel Supplies

travel gear

I obtain travel supplies for as little as 20 cents per item for the basics, and at significant discounts for more substantial items. Here are some of my favorite sources for scoring affordable travel supplies. Special Ops Catalogs I covered this somewhat in my travel bag solutions post for Wise Bread a while back. People [...]

Restaurant Review – Charleston’s

Charlestons

I had never heard of this restaurant ’til a recent visit to Phoenix.  I had been hearing from a friend about an amazing salmon dish included on their menu.  He couldn’t use enough positive words to describe it. So, when I was in Phoenix, we included dinner at Charleston’s, and being a big fan of [...]

Save Money at Cedar Point

Cedar-Point

I grew up in Ohio, which has a surprising number of summer amusements. My favorite, of course, was and is Cedar Point, home to some of the finest roller coasters in the world! As with most amusements, proximity is the best solution to money saving.  There are options available that include or exclude parking, for [...]

Scribner’s Mill Back to the Past Celebration

Mill

This annual event is the major fundraiser for the Scribner’s Mill Preservation group.  They pull out all the stops and it is a great historical event.  The Back to the Past celebration is always the first weekend in August.  The efforts of dozens of volunteers and exhibitors help make this a great experience for the [...]

Maine State Parks: Cheap Day Trip Options

Maine-State-Parks

Maine has a lot of outdoors for vacationers to enjoy.  Parks abound.  There is one National Park (Acadia), a piece of the White Mountain National Forest, and 31 or so parks managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks that charge fees. The Appalachian trail passes through or near several of these. Day passes are completely [...]

Texas Roadhouse

Texas-Roadhouse

As a rule, I don’t tout chain restaurants.  There’s too much room for inconsistency from store to store.  I believe I’ve found an exception.  I recently had the opportunity to dine at Texas Roadhouse in two different states.   The quality was consistent.  It was fun…unlimited peanuts in the shell and an invite to drop those [...]

Lakeshore Park – Ashtabula, Ohio

Lakeshore-Park

I grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, next to a town park right on Lake Erie.  On a recent visit home, my sister and I took several walks through this park, as one of its entrances is only a couple hundred feet from our mother’s front door. With the help of the Army Corps of Engineers, [...]

Colosseum

Colisseum

I went to Italy in 2000, a great year to be in Rome.  The Sistine Chapel had just been restored; much of the sculpture in public had been given a facelift; the city was alive.  So, What made the biggest impression on me?  Besides the Sistine Chapel, that is… The Colosseum.  The movie Gladiator was [...]

Shelburne Museum – Americana by the Acre

Ticonderoga

Located near Lake Champlain, the Shelburne Museum houses a pretty spectular collection of Americana.  Included is the steamship Ticonderoga, pictured above, which, in an amazing feat of engineering, was moved overland the two miles from Lake Champlain.  There is also a lighthouse from Lake Champlain that was disassembled and moved to the museum and a [...]

Cruise the Kanc

Kancamagus-Highway

The Kancamagus Highway is a 26.5 mile scenic drive that runs through the White Mountain National Forest from Conway to Lincoln, New Hampshire.  This drive is beautiful year-round, and is a particular draw during foliage season.  In the summer, there are places to swim in the Swift River with natural water slides and pools.  There [...]

Boston Travels: Enjoying Quincy Market

Quincy-Market

There is enough budget wise stuff to do in and around here to fill a day.  Boutique window shopping, street performers, amazing food (or pack a lunch), and room for kids to leap and hop are just some of the attractions.  Planning a trip to include Quincy Market (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)?  Make it on a [...]

Maine Wildlife Park

Gray-Animal-Farm

There is no one who comes to visit Maine for a week, a weekend or a summer that doesn’t aspire to see, at least, a moose.  The  intrepid wildlife seeker can find an alternative to driving the highways and byways in the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine. Open from April to Veteran’s Day, the [...]

Concord Coach Lines – Affordable and comfortable

Concord-Trailways

When it comes to traveling to Boston from Maine or New Hampshire, one option stands head and shoulders above the others, in my humble opinion.  That option is the highway coaches run by Concord Coach Lines. Concord’s routes all end at either South Station or Logan Airport.  The price is reasonable — $25.00  same-day round [...]

3 Travel Items You Can Buy at the Pharmacy

pharmacy items

Tired of spending big bucks on your travel supplies? There are many places to shop affordably for things the specialty stores overcharge you for. One place that’s often overlooked is your local pharmacy chain.

Ten Travel Souvenirs You Can Make with Beads

travelbeadsRSZD

Whether strung loosely for resale or on a tribal necklace, beads are fantastic souvenir items to collect on your world travels. What’s more, the travel souvenirs you can make with beads provide a fair amount of creative diversity.

See Some of the Most Expensive U.S. Cities for Cheap

tentrszd

Want to see some of the most expensive cities in the United States? Bring your tent! Many of the more cost-heavy destinations in America can also be enjoyed via campground, including New York, Washington and even Las Vegas. Read on for details. During a flood recovery period where we had to live like cyber nomads, [...]

Ten Universal Travel Skills

MountainsSacredValleyRSZD

While travel skills in general are likely too numerous to list efficiently, these ten are the ones Trek Hound consider to be universally helpful. What are they?

Budget Traveler’s Picnic Article

picnic

Flickr Photo Credit: Johan Larsson If you’ve been a reader of this blog for a while now, you know that David and I are big fans of the picnic option while on the road.